FC Barcelona contacts Inter midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia

FC Barcelona will look to sign Geoffrey Kondogbia from Serie A club Internazionale should they fail in their attempts to secure either Marco Verratti or Paulinho.

Kondogbia is thought to be happy at Inter but Barca could still make a follow up approach even as they are forced to adjust their transfer ambitions during Lionel Messi’s contract renewal talks.

Nonetheless, the La Liga runners-up has inquired if Kondogbia would be interested but remain a long way from making a move for the former Monaco star, as they are currently in the midst of making a bid for Marco Verratti from Paris Saint-Germain.

However, PSG are desperate not to sell Verratti at any cost to a Champions League rival and it remains to be seen if the club could convince the Italian midfielder that they remain ambitious with heavy investment in the transfer market.

As way of alternative, Barcelona are also looking at Guangzhou Evergrande’s Paulinho and they have already begun talks for the former Tottenham man alongside those for Verratti.

However, Paulinho has a release clause that was worth £35 million which Barca are unwilling to pay.

Additionally, Guangzhou’s manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is reportedly not keen on selling his midfielder after new rules were set in place, making foreign imports increasingly difficult in the Chinese Super League with a 100% tax imposition.